A look at how childhood really is

Somehow, in the process of growing up and having responsibilities, adults forget what it's really like to be a child. They forget the leisure, of taking a book into a field in the morning and only wandering back home when hungry or it gets dark out. They forget what it's like to have people tell you what to do, with arbitrary reasons that you're not allowed to question. They forget the discomfort of knowing that a situation isn't okay, but not having enough experience to know why it's wrong, or the experience to know what to do about it.

Neil Gaiman never forgot. And by not forgetting, he's written the truest young characters in The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

The book starts out with the narrator coming back to where he grew up for a funeral. He's dressed in the proper clothes, says the proper things, and takes a certain comfort in knowing what he's supposed to do and say during a difficult time.

As he drives from the funeral to the cemetery, he has a bit of time to himself, and finds his car pointing towards where he once lives. The fields and small homes have been replaced with housing estates, the flint-strewn country lane with tarmac. His childhood home is long gone, and the home of his adolescence isn't what has brought him back here.

As he rolls his car along, the road regresses to the lane of his childhood, and eventually to a footpath. He gets out, and walks up to a house he hasn't thought of in too long, and slides sideways into memories of his seventh year.

As with most Gaiman tales, to lay out the story before reading it is to take away some of the magic. It's not an easy read, because childhood isn't easy. There's monsters, and some of them are the adults he's supposed to be able to trust. There's heroes, even if they wouldn't call themselves that. There's bravery and fear, sometimes at the same time, and there's sacrifice.

There's the magic that Gaiman brings to his tales, which transcends description.

Highs: No one combines childhood, fantasy and fear like Neil Gaiman

Lows: Sometimes being reminded of the hard parts of childhood isn't fun

Verdict: Yet another amazing tale from one of the greatest fantasy authors

Further Reading: Coraline, Trigger Warning

A book for mothers and daughters to share together

Baby shower presents can be tricky. The standard gift-basket items are nice and all, but how many 0-3mo onesies and hooded towels can one family ever hope to use? Branching out to books and movies has its own pitfalls, though. Most children will eventually get all the 'safe' classics like Disney movies and Curious George books. So, if you want to leave an impression, you'll need to reach farther, without hurting Grandma's sensibilities.

If you're heading to a baby shower for a soon-to-be-born little girl, one of the best picture books to be written in years fits perfectly. That would be Blueberry Girl, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess.

A book that is essentially a mother's prayer for her child might step on a few toes. Gaiman neatly sidesteps this issue with the refrain “Lady of Darkness, Lady of Light and Lady of Never-You-Mind, This is a prayer for a Blueberry Girl.” Specifying that the 'prayer' goes out to the maiden-matron-crone archetype instead of letting the reader assume that it's directed to a god turns what would be an overtly religious book into an appeal to the spirits.

Beyond that, though, it's simply a recitation of what a mother would wish for her daughter. I'm sure that every mother wants to protect her daughter from “heartbreak and 16, bad husbands and 30,” but not many but Gaiman would put that as a verse in a children's book.

The verses could end up coming across as somewhat silly if it weren't for Charles Vess' amazing watercolor illustrations. Throughout the pages, the 'Blueberry Girl' changes in both age and race, making her an everygirl that anyone can relate to. Vess also masterfully keeps the magic of good storybook art throughout without crossing the line into true fantasy, keeping the book more-or-less grounded in reality.

This book is a wonderful present for both daughter and mother-to-be. It is inspirational to the mother when she's worried about what a child might bring, and most importantly, will help teach the girl to be bold, have adventures, and, most importantly, to trust in herself.

Highs: Gaiman's verse sums up a parents' wishes for their child perfectly

Lows: Sadly, not appropriate for a baby shower for a boy

Verdict: An amazing book for children of all ages

Further Reading: Instructions, Coraline